December 23, 2010

I found this Stefan Grossman Delta Blues TAB book at the used book store the other day. Wasn't going to buy it as I have more books than I know what to do with...but as I was flipping through it I noticed it has one of those old plastic records in it. Two sided even. So, I had to have it!

December 21, 2010

Harlem Slim is from New York (hence the name?) and now resides in Houston TX working at Fullers Vintage Guitars and teaching. He has recently made a shift to flamenco music. A musical direction I have also taken after many years of listening and playing the blues. But this CD is pure Delta Blues played on resonator guitar with plenty of slide work. I believe some of these tunes are by Slim, but most are classic delta covers. Dyin' Crapshooters Blues is an excellent effort as is Poor Boy.

Another release by Harlem Slim. This one starts off with some distorted electric work, there are a couple of them on this one. Harlem's also got a couple guests on this one as well. But it mostly comprised of his familiar vintage 30's resonator sound. Good stuff!

December 19, 2010

A friend of mine has been lucky enough to see Richard Johnston many times on Beale St in Memphis and by all accounts he kicks some serious butt.
If you aren't familiar with him he usually is a solo performer playing guitar, singing and the drums via a special setup operated by just his feet. He also plays a cigar box guitar quite often. You can tell when he is playing the cigar box guitar because it is strung with a bass string to improve that over all groove thang in the performance. If you know what I mean, and I think you do.
This is a soundboard recording from: The Deep Blues Festival at Washington County Fairgrounds, Lake Elmo, MN on July 18th, 2008
If you like this style you should also check out John-Alex Mason I've been going to his shows in Colorado for a long time. He used to do just the acoustic blues but Johnston showed him how to set up the one-man-band deal and that's been his dominant style for a couple years now.

I recently purchased the video you see above and to your right. Excellent video that includes Mudslide. I found this very helpful in fleshing out the little nuances of this song that are difficult to include in a tab. And like many guitarists, Donohue never really plays a song the same way twice. So between this rendition and the embedded one below you have a few options for embellishments, intros and outros.

I've transferred it to Power Tab and I'll include a text version as well.

Notes on the tab and some tips:

Look for some text above the music denoting a section 1, 2 & 3 and a chorus section. Since I'm musically illiterate, I have no idea how to use the secret coda to guide you through the music. But it is very simple, play section 1 - chorus - section 2 - chorus - section 3.

If you have played a little slide before then it should be fairly simple to figure out what parts are fingered vs. played with the slide. Nonetheless I tried to note "NS" for 'no slide' above the sections that are fingered.
Download the tab here: TEXT FILEWORD FILEPOWER TAB FILE

The drop.io service will be closing onDec. 15. Until then, people will be able to use existing drops they’ve created, but won’t be able to create new drops. After Dec. 15, drop.io will be closing and all user data and content will be deleted, so please download files you have stored on the service before then.

Well that really sucks. Nearly ALL the downloadable content on this blog is on the drop.io servers. Oh, and hey drop.io, you never ran out of effort when it came to sending me promotional emails. But not ONE email warning me of this shut down. Not one.

Bite me, Drop.io

Good thing I visited the blog, just by coincidence.

So...

Though I will try to get all content transferred to another host, undoubtedly I will miss one here and there. So drop me a comment on the the post that doesn't have a working link.

Mean while I've been recycling some of the old posts as I re-link the music. Hope you've found some old gems you didn't know were here.

On the bright side I've actually shelled out some cash for the new storage site and this will enhance your download experience. No more ads, no wait times. Don't you feel special? The d/l will now (90%) of the time just save the file to your computer and no more re-directs and all that crap!

December 9, 2010

This summer Shanti and I visited Glenn Jones and took photos of Jack's guitars in Glenn's back yard. It was quite surreal looking at those instruments in the afternoon sun and thinking never again would Jack conjure music out of those bodies of wood and steel. The most curious thing I noticed when looking at all the guitars; underneath the strings on the top between the soundhole and bridge, a patch of white residue that looks like violin bow rosin. I hadn't noticed this before, but I guess most of the time hanging out with Jack was in room lighting. Glenn informed me that for the longest time he didn't know what it was either, but after sometime realized it was the residue from Jack's white thumb picks. I had to laugh when I thought about Jack shredding his thumbpick as he fingerpicked, but it holds testament to Jack's attack on the strings and the strength of his hands. Of course, not so hard to understand when watching him perform or when listening to his records. His right hand was a beautiful thing of power and precision.

photo by Buck Curran

Jack's guitars include two Taylor dreadnoughts, but the significant guitar of the batch is a unique handmade slide guitar. A Weissenborn style lap guitar made of very lightly figured Hawaiian Koa and featuring a metal saddle and nut. The instrument, serial number 97099 Island Koa Instruments was made in 1997 by English luthier Pete Howlett. This guitar can be heard on Jack's best recordings, and the piece Now That I'm a Man Full Grown II from the 2005 release Kensington Blues is a perfect example of the dynamics and power he could summon with this instrument. There is also some great footage of Jack playing this guitar on the highly recommended DVD The Things We Used to Do released by Strange Attractors Audio House this year.

One thing is for certain...Jack really loved and cared for his guitars. Looking at his Island Koa (though the finish is worn) and both Taylor guitars, I noticed they are structurally in great shape. He may have played hard, but it was the strings that took the blissful punishment. Jack and I exchanged quite a few emails over the years, talking about guitars a lot of the time I really got to know what his preferences were when it came to acoustic guitars. I was building a guitar for him when he passed. I really felt like I could've built him the perfect guitar and it's sad to think we'll never be able to finish that collaboration. It's very clear when thinking about Jack himself and when listening to his music...the World is a much better place for the Life that Jack put in it while he was here. He will be missed always! ~Buck Curran 8 December 2010

December 8, 2010

As you can see, it’s very nicely shot with some great angles on the playing. It definitely has plenty of good camera work for the guitar geek in me. I love the pans across the strings, especially that low E string when it’s been tuned down to C and is floppin’ all over the place.

The DVD kicks things off with two duets,

Linden Ave Stomp andMiss May’s Place

Then Jack takes over for the first studio section. First up are the lap slide songs,Gage BluesRevoltLevee andSong for the Owl

Rose switches to the 6-string and performsDusty GrassFishtown FlowerThe World Has Let Me DownKensington Blues and Blessed be the Name of Lord

Rose gave up playing the 12 string at some point of his career, so we don’t get to see him play that instrument. But it’s all good because Glenn Jones is up next and takes us thru his world of bizarre 12 string tunings and partial capos. In some ways it’s surprising that these guys played together when you see them play in this DVD, there’s a real shift in the feel as you are watching this video. We go from Rose’s muscular playing that is very bluesy to Jones with the more expansive, longer, intricate pieces, nearly all from the recently released “Barbecue Bob in Fishtown.”

Jones starts us off withRedwood Ramble MisrememberedBarbecue Bob in Fishtown1337 Shattuck Avenue, Apartment DA Geranium for Mano-a-ManoDavid and the Phoenix andA Lark in Earnest
The last song is new territory for Glenn, a piece for the banjo.

At this point we get to see some concert footage of the two, playing separately, in a club in Philly. Continuing with Jones in the live performance we get two more songs from “Barbecue Bob in Fishtown” and that just about covers the entire release! The live set is three songs, one each on 6-string, banjo and a slide medley on a reso-guitar.

Jones plays

Dead ReckoningKeep it 100 YearsMedley: Island 1 / Against my Ruin

Rose performs an equally diverse set

Cross the North ForkLuck in the Valley

St. Louis Blues

Closing out the DVD is an interview with the two musicians. This may be my favorite part of the entire DVD. I have always been rooted in the acoustic guitar. I’m not sure I can get into any deep philosophical reason for it. It’s always just been the instrument that spoke to me. Even before I discovered the blues of Mississippi John Hurt, Ackerman’s stuff and of course Fahey, I was in love with the acoustic. I always loved the rock songs that had am acoustic base to them. Like the backbone of Heart’s “Crazy on You” and Led Zepplin’s “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You.” I don’t know if it’s the clichéd sounding “well it’s organic” or what there is about it. But while I have always really appreciated the electric and the power it wields, when it gets down to it I would rather play an acoustic.

So I really identify with how Rose talks about starting off on the acoustic and eventually coming back to it with all that electric playing in the middle. As much as I love electric players of all kinds I want to listen to it more than play it.

Name dropping is always a useful part of any interview to discover new artists. Byron Coley even mentions Ragtime Ralph!

Glenn talks quite a bit about driving Robbie Basho around on an east coast tour, very interesting. The highlight might be Glenn’s impersonation of Fahey, it’s quite funny.

And DO NOT miss the discussion of “pussy chords.” According to Rose: Glenn uses “pussy chords,” hilarious!

This is a fantastic deal for the money. Nearly two hours of great music and a 37 minute interview. This DVD really has it all, duets, solo performances by each, both “studio” and in a live setting and to top it all off, an interview of the two.

Time for a little more Jack Rose content! Andrew Stranglen has sent me a couple tunes to share with all of you!
Andrew is certainly no Fahey traditionalist! Instead preferring electric sounding mixes, flabby low-tuned guitars and usually improvising as often as not. It's great!
Hit the link to d/l 2 songs: "I Didn't Know Jack" and "Dis Wam Me"
About "I Didn't Know Jack" - "I recorded at home with a crappy mic and a soundhole p.u.and the mic's not prominent at all in the mix Tuning is open C/NO, it's Open A7th tune to open C then drop it down to A, then tune the high string from C# to C for that 7th nice and flabby drop tuning"
About "Dis Wam Me" - Recorded with a ZOOM, part of a larger project Andrew is working on.
Get Andrew's tunes HERE

Rose has been garnering some attention on NPR as of late. Here's some links to those in case you missed them.
﻿

December 7, 2010

You can't ask for much more than the effort some people put into tabbing out songs. I've done a few myself and I find it a long and tedious process.
So a big thanks to crabbe_head over at the FaheyGuitarPlayers forum for taking the time to work these out!

Unfortunately I never got to see Jack Rose play, never met him. But when I finally discovered his music, namely the releases on VHF, I ordered all three of them at once. I wasn't worried that I wouldn't like them. I knew I had found a hell of a guitar player. I've bought about everything of his I could get my hands on ever since. If you like Rose's music, please make the effort to buy some.

This simply a collection of the links about Jack Rose, about his death and about his music.

December 5, 2010

In this first episode I play some tracks from the new Sean Smith Christmas release as well as tracks by Mike Fekete and Ragtime Ralph. The second part of the show is a tribute to Jack Rose where I play a wide variety of his music.

Jack RoseBrickbat BooksPhiladelphia PA July 10 2009
Personnel on this one is Nathan Bowles on washboards and banjo throughout, Harmonica Dan joins on a few tracks, and Glenn Jones joins in on the last two tracks.
01 Kensington Blues / Blessed Be the Name of the Lord / Luck in the Valley
02 ?
03 Soft Steel Piston
04 Woodpiles on the Side of the Road
05 Walkin' Blues
06 St. Louis Blues
07 Special Rider
08 When Tailgate Drops, The Bullshit Stops
09 Linden Avenue Stomp / Moon in the Gutter
10 Moon in the Gutter [continued] Get it HERE

Jack Rose is clearly one of the most successful musicians of the many that John Fahey has influenced. Musically, Rose is a success! He has taken Fahey's music and launched it into the realm of technical virtuoso. He plays American Primitive on the 12 string with an obvious nod to Fahey, but he steps out into space as well. Playing long, intricate pieces that no doubt challenge him as much as they do the listener.
This is a radio broadcast.
Tracks 2-4 are Found on the Kensington Blues release, 5 & 6 can be found on the Dr. Ragtime & Pals release.
Here is the info received with the files. I made some spelling corrections to the titles.

.

This delta had the very pronounced habit, during certain dry seasons, of sliding. In order to compensate for the encroachments of numerous escarpments, which were at this time always encroaching upon everyone, due to the sliding of the delta. Hymns were composed, which were sung to various gods of the delta and the escarpments. In time, the escarpments ceased to encroach, but the delta continued to slide, which was quite naturally no longer dangerous to the local volk. These hymns continued to be sung altho their aetology was long forgotten. Later they were written down in compensium of sliding delta hymns which were so named. - Fahey, Dance of Death liner notes.